editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94As NPR's Southern Bureau Chief, Russell Lewis covers issues and people of the Southeast for NPR — from Florida to Virginia to Texas, including West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. His work brings context and dimension to issues ranging from immigration, transportation and oil and gas drilling for NPR listeners across the nation and around the world. In addition to developing and expanding NPR's coverage of the region, Lewis assigns and edits stories from station-based reporters and freelancers that air on NPR's news programs, working closely with local correspondents and public radio stations. He spent a year in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, coordinating NPR's coverage of the massive rebuilding effort and the reverberations of the storm in local communities. He joined NPR in 2006 and is based in Birmingham, Alabama. Lewis is also a key member of NPR's 'Go Team' — a small group of experienced NPR producers and reporters who respond to major disasters worldwide. He is often amongNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Russell LewisMon, 06 Nov 2017 19:20:03 +0000Russell Lewishttp://northernpublicradio.org
Russell LewisCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Democratic Lawmaker Calls For 'Serious Conversation' On Root Of Mass Shootingshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/democratic-lawmaker-calls-serious-conversation-root-mass-shootings
106491 as http://northernpublicradio.orgMon, 06 Nov 2017 16:15:00 +0000Democratic Lawmaker Calls For 'Serious Conversation' On Root Of Mass ShootingsRussell LewisCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Texas Community Is The Latest To Suffer A Shooting Attackhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/texas-community-latest-suffer-shooting-attack
106466 as http://northernpublicradio.orgMon, 06 Nov 2017 09:53:00 +0000Texas Community Is The Latest To Suffer A Shooting AttackRussell LewisNothing like waiting until the last minute — or, in this case, the final game — of World Cup qualifying to see if the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team will make next year's tournament in Russia. A lot is on the line for the U.S. squad: The team has made the last seven tournaments. When it comes to the world's biggest sporting event, there are a lot of numbers. Consider: The World Cup is played every four years and qualifying takes two years. Countries are grouped into six qualifying regions. 209 nations are vying for just 32 spots. A total of 831 matches are played to determine who makes the World Cup. The United States has played nine qualifying matches (three wins, three losses and three draws). But it all comes down to tonight: on the road against Trinidad and Tobago . "This is what all players want," said defender DaMarcus Beasley, "a chance to qualify for the World Cup. But the game that actually does it." It's a match the U.S. should win (on paper, at least). Against the SocaU.S. Men's National Team Can Advance To World Cup Tonighthttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-mens-national-team-can-advance-world-cup-tonight
104879 as http://northernpublicradio.orgTue, 10 Oct 2017 12:00:00 +0000U.S. Men's National Team Can Advance To World Cup TonightRussell LewisCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: And I want to bring in another voice now, NPR's Russell Lewis. He is in Fort Myers, Fla., at our member station WGCU. Hey there, Russell. RUSSELL LEWIS, BYLINE: Hey. Good morning. MARTIN: Lack of power, downed electricity lines has been a major problem in those areas affected by Irma. What's the power situation like this morning? LEWIS: Well, it's certainly improving each day. You know, after the storm, about two-thirds of the state was without power. And as of the last report this morning, a quarter of the state now. So about 2.7 million customers have electricity this morning. You know, that's a big accomplishment to sort of get those numbers down quickly. But, I mean, we have to be, you know, honest. Let's remember that this is Florida, where even though it's the middle of September, it's still hot. It's muggy. You know, the highs in some areas today will be in the 90s, and that's really not easy for anyone to deal with,President Trump Will Travel To Florida To Assess Hurricane Damagehttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/president-trump-will-travel-florida-assess-hurricane-damage
103800 as http://northernpublicradio.orgThu, 14 Sep 2017 12:10:00 +0000President Trump Will Travel To Florida To Assess Hurricane DamageRussell LewisThe U.S. women's national soccer team got some disappointing (and not unexpected) news Friday — it fell out of first place in the FIFA world rankings for the first time in years. The demotion follows a last-place finish in a U.S.-hosted tournament of some of the world's best teams earlier this month. The U.S. is now No. 2, behind Germany and ahead of France, England and Canada. The American squad has been ranked in the top two spots since FIFA created the world rankings for women back in 2003. Since the U.S. women won the World Cup in 2015, the team has had a tough go. The U.S. was expected to win gold at the Summer Olympics last year in Rio. (It had won gold in the three previous Olympics.) Instead, the U.S. didn't even medal, losing to Sweden in the quarterfinals. After the Olympics, the U.S. had a spate of easy wins against mostly non-soccer powerhouses. But when it got to the SheBelieves Cup in March, the team stumbled. It beat Germany but lost to England and France. Afterward, U.SU.S. Women Bumped From Top Spot In FIFA World Rankingshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-women-bumped-top-spot-fifa-world-rankings
95998 as http://northernpublicradio.orgFri, 24 Mar 2017 15:39:00 +0000U.S. Women Bumped From Top Spot In FIFA World RankingsRussell LewisThe last person to leave footprints on the moon has died. NASA reported that Gene Cernan died Monday at the age of 82, surrounded by his family. Gene Cernan flew in space three times, including twice to the moon. Cernan was big, brash and gregarious. And if he hadn't been lucky, he could have missed his chance to walk on the moon. Cernan challenged himself his whole life. When he entered the military, he chose to be a naval aviator. Landing on an aircraft carrier is perhaps the hardest thing to do in aviation. Cernan did it because it wasn't easy. He said he was constantly pushing himself to do better and be better. "My dad always used to say, 'Just go out and do your best. You're not going to be better than everyone at everything.' And he was right," Cernan said, "I wasn't. But he was also right one other time when he said, 'Someday you're going to surprise yourself. Just do your best and someday you're going to surprise yourself.' " Cernan's final trip in space was also the finalGene Cernan, Last Man To Walk On The Moon, Dies At 82http://northernpublicradio.org/post/gene-cernan-last-man-walk-moon-dies-82
93157 as http://northernpublicradio.orgMon, 16 Jan 2017 20:50:00 +0000Gene Cernan, Last Man To Walk On The Moon, Dies At 82Russell LewisUpdated 5 p.m. ET The first American to orbit the Earth has died. John Glenn was the last surviving member of the original Mercury astronauts. He would later have a long political career as a U.S. senator, but that didn't stop his pioneering ways. Glenn made history a second time in 1998, when he flew aboard the shuttle Discovery to become the oldest person to fly in space. Glenn was 95 when he died; he had been hospitalized in an Ohio State University medical center in Columbus since last week. Glenn had been battling health issues since a stroke a few years ago. His death Thursday was confirmed by Hank Wilson, communications director of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University. President Obama said that Glenn's trailblazing showed "with courage and a spirit of discovery there's no limit to the heights we can reach together." The president said, "John always had the right stuff, inspiring generations of scientists, engineers and astronauts. ... On behalfJohn Glenn, First American To Orbit The Earth, Dies At 95http://northernpublicradio.org/post/john-glenn-first-american-orbit-earth-dies-95
91545 as http://northernpublicradio.orgThu, 08 Dec 2016 21:23:37 +0000John Glenn, First American To Orbit The Earth, Dies At 95Russell LewisCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: I mean, let's just say it. The U.S. women's basketball team is totally dominating at the Olympics. The Americans haven't lost at the Olympics since 1992, a remarkable winning streak of 47 games and five straight gold medals. The team puts it all on the line tonight in the semifinals against France. NPR's Russell Lewis caught up with the team to find out about their secret to success. RUSSELL LEWIS, BYLINE: In the quarterfinal game, the U.S. put on a basketball clinic against Japan. (APPLAUSE) LEWIS: Crisper passes, better shots, stronger defense. So at the start of the fourth quarter, the U.S. is up 81-59 over Japan. And this is what the U.S. has been doing the entire time here at the Rio Olympics - just rolling over the competition. Japan scored just five points in the final quarter. And the U.S. won by 46. After the game, the Japanese players asked to have their pictures taken with the U.S. team. Elena Delle Donne is playingU.S. Women's Basketball Team Dominates Olympic Competitionhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-womens-basketball-team-dominates-olympic-competition
86775 as http://northernpublicradio.orgThu, 18 Aug 2016 10:19:00 +0000U.S. Women's Basketball Team Dominates Olympic CompetitionRussell LewisCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Today the world's best women gymnasts competed in team finals at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Going in, the Americans were ranked No. 1 in everything - vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. And here is where we will offer a spoiler alert. Those of you who want to wait for the tape delay tonight on NBC should turn the volume down for the next few minutes. For the rest of you, we are joined by NPR's Russell Lewis, who is at the vent. Hi, Russell. RUSSELL LEWIS, BYLINE: Hey there. SHAPIRO: OK, so spoil this for us. How did the U.S. team do? LEWIS: Well, is it any surprise if I tell you that they won gold, and they won gold convincingly. It was the largest margin of victory in an Olympic women's team final since the Soviet Union - remember when we used to call it that? SHAPIRO: (Laughter) Right. LEWIS: ...Defeated Czechoslovakia - remember when we used to call it that? SHAPIRO: Oh, that used to be a country. LEWIS:U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team Wins Gold Medalhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-womens-gymnastics-team-wins-gold-medal
86423 as http://northernpublicradio.orgWed, 10 Aug 2016 01:55:00 +0000U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team Wins Gold MedalCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR .Olympics Day 1: U.S. Takes First Gold http://northernpublicradio.org/post/olympics-day-1-us-takes-first-gold
86287 as http://northernpublicradio.orgSat, 06 Aug 2016 21:09:00 +0000Olympics Day 1: U.S. Takes First Gold Russell LewisTonight marks the end of an era for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team . The World Cup champions play their final Victory Tour match against China in New Orleans. It's also the final game for one of their longtime stars: Abby Wambach . The 35-year-old forward is hanging up her cleats after a stellar career. Consider: She ends with 184 goals scored in international play. That's the most by any player — man or woman. She won two Olympic gold medals (2004 and 2012) and a World Cup (2015). She was named FIFA's World Player of the Year (2012). She helped the University of Florida win its first-ever national championship as a freshman (1998). Wambach is tenacious and unrelenting. As my colleague Shereen Marisol Meraji reported for our newscast unit: "Her superpower on the field is absolute fearlessness. Diving headfirst into soccer balls. Scoring goals by any means necessary. But, she says her body won't let her play like a champion anymore: 'Running and the game is not easy by any means.Soccer Star Abby Wambach Prepares For Her Final Gamehttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/soccer-star-abby-wambach-prepares-her-final-game
75418 as http://northernpublicradio.orgWed, 16 Dec 2015 11:29:00 +0000Soccer Star Abby Wambach Prepares For Her Final GameRussell LewisUpdated at 8:05 p.m. ET The National Hurricane Center says the eye of Hurricane Patricia has made landfall near Cuixmala on Mexico's southwestern Pacific coast. Its winds were measured at 165 mph, somewhat weakened but still a Category 5 storm capable of catastrophic damage. Our original post continues: Hurricane Patricia is bearing down on Mexico's Pacific coast Friday. Forecasters say this could be potentially catastrophic. It's a monster storm with sustained winds of 200 mph . That's the most powerful ever recorded by the National Hurricane Center in either the eastern Pacific or Atlantic basin. Thursday Patricia went from a weak tropical storm to a top-of-the-scale Category 5 hurricane in just 25 hours . It's believed to be the fastest strengthening ever observed. And it's likely to get stronger. Some models show the storm could reach sustained winds of 220 mph. That's unheard of. Some have compared this to Super Typhoon Haiyan , which struck the Philippines in 2013. There are someHurricane Patricia Makes Landfall, Threatens Catastrophic Damage In Mexicohttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/what-you-need-know-about-catastrophic-hurricane-patricia
72846 as http://northernpublicradio.orgFri, 23 Oct 2015 17:40:00 +0000Hurricane Patricia Makes Landfall, Threatens Catastrophic Damage In MexicoRussell LewisCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit Transcript DAVID GREENE, HOST: We can paint just a bit more of a picture of Mohammad Abdulazeez. He's the man who shot up two military installations in Tennessee. He killed four Marines and a sailor before he was killed himself, leaving unanswered the question of why. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Our colleague Dina Temple-Raston reported this week that he suffered from depression and drug abuse. Two years ago, after losing a job, he wrote a note saying he would rather be dead than alive. He was also following the words of a cleric who spoke of cleansing one's sins by becoming a martyr. GREENE: And to this we can now add new details of just what Abdulazeez did. NPR's Russell Lewis is in Chattanooga. RUSSELL LEWIS, BYLINE: At the site of the first shooting, the military recruiting office in a Chattanooga strip mall, a makeshift memorial to the victims gets bigger every day. There are hundreds of small American flags, red white and blue balloons, signs andInvestigators Seek The Gunman's Motivation In The Chattanooga Shootinghttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/investigators-seek-gunmans-motivation-chattanooga-shooting
68417 as http://northernpublicradio.orgThu, 23 Jul 2015 10:24:00 +0000Investigators Seek The Gunman's Motivation In The Chattanooga ShootingRussell LewisUpdated, 9 p.m. ET: In a battle between a fantastic attack and a fantastic defense, the latter prevailed, as two penalty kicks — one made, one whiffed — and a late insurance goal gave the U.S. a 2-0 win over Germany and a berth in the Women's World Cup soccer final. After American forward Alex Morgan tumbled over a German defender — a foul that appeared to occur outside of the box — forward Carli Lloyd got a penalty shot past Germany's Nadine Angerer, whom the U.S. had kept busy all night. Minutes earlier, defender Julie Johnston pulled down star German striker Alexandra Popp inside the box, but Celia Sasic sent her penalty kick feet left of the goal. The U.S. defense has not allowed a goal in five games, since its first game of the tournament against Australia. The American team's attackers continued their tournament-long trouble finishing, but kept constant pressure on the top-ranked Germans through the winning goal in the 69th minute, then limited Germany's opportunities through theU.S. Topples Top-Ranked Germany 2-0 To Reach World Cup Finalhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/womens-soccer-game-tonight-features-worlds-top-2-teams
67307 as http://northernpublicradio.orgTue, 30 Jun 2015 12:03:00 +0000U.S. Topples Top-Ranked Germany 2-0 To Reach World Cup FinalRussell LewisUpdate, 9:30 p.m. ET: The United States pulled out a victory against China on Friday night in the Women's World Cup, winning only 1-0 despite dominating the match. Midfielder Carli Lloyd's header in the 51st minute made the difference, but the U.S. kept pressure on China all night long and had 17 shots to China's 7. The strong performance came despite the Americans having to play without midfielders Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday, who have been two of the teams more consistent performers during the tournament. Both received automatic suspensions after picking up their second yellow cards of the tournament in the U.S. win against Colombia. The American defense was, again, stellar, the Wall Street Journal notes : "This is the first time in American women's World Cup history that they'll have gone four consecutive games with a clean sheet, not having conceded a goal since the opening game against Australia." Original Post: The World Cup continues tonight for the U.S. women's soccer teamU.S. Women Take Out China, Advance To World Cup Semifinalshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/americans-back-action-tonight-world-cup-soccer
67142 as http://northernpublicradio.orgFri, 26 Jun 2015 12:03:00 +0000U.S. Women Take Out China, Advance To World Cup SemifinalsRussell Lewishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxJukT0ggIM Update, 10:05 p.m. ET: The Americans won and advanced to the quarterfinals at the Women's World Cup, but lost midfielders Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday for its next match, as each received her second yellow card of the tournament. The U.S. beat Columbia 2-0 Monday night behind second-half goals by Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd, the latter off a penalty kick. Colombia had only 10 women on the field for most of the second half after goalie Catalina Perez was issued a red card. Morgan's first goal of the tournament comes in her second start; the injury-hampered forward came off the bench in the team's first two matches. Rapinoe and Holiday, both of whom were carded against Australia earlier this month, have both started every game of the tournament for the Americans, but won't be available when the team goes up against China on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Chinese squad was the 16th-best in the world in the most recent FIFA rankings. OriginalU.S. Beats Colombia 2-0, But Will Be Shorthanded Vs. Chinahttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-women-face-colombia-tonight-round-16
66914 as http://northernpublicradio.orgMon, 22 Jun 2015 16:34:00 +0000U.S. Beats Colombia 2-0, But Will Be Shorthanded Vs. ChinaRussell LewisUpdated at 12:15 p.m. ET On June 17: U.S. veteran Abby Wambach, making her second start of the World Cup, scored her first goal of the tournament and the 183rd of her storied international career to push the Americans past Nigeria on Tuesday in Vancouver, Canada. The 1-0 victory allowed the U.S. to win Group D and advance into the elimination rounds, where they'll face another group's third-place team on Monday, followed by a possible matchup against Cameroon or China later next week. The Americans dominated the match, taking twice as many shots as the Nigerians. Nigeria's players also got into foul trouble, finding themselves the recipients of multiple yellow cards. Defender Sarah Nnodim got two of them, resulting in a red card and her ejection from the game. The loss to the U.S. eliminated Nigeria. In the other Group D game, Australia tied Sweden, taking second place and advancing to face Brazil. Sweden ended in third place, but may still have another match, as four of the six thirdU.S. Women Beat Nigeria 1-0, Win Group And Advance To Elimination Roundshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-women-take-soccer-pitch-against-surprising-nigerian-team-world-cup
66641 as http://northernpublicradio.orgTue, 16 Jun 2015 21:12:00 +0000U.S. Women Beat Nigeria 1-0, Win Group And Advance To Elimination RoundsRussell LewisIf you watch the United States play Nigeria at the Women's World Cup tonight — kickoff is at 8 p.m. — you'll keep your eyes on the field. After all, it's an important match. A win or a tie, and the U.S. is guaranteed to advance to the knockout round. Even with a loss, the U.S. could still move on. Nigeria is the best team from Africa. But maybe you should look at the stands instead. Nigerian fans are an attraction in their own right. Decked out in bright green T-shirts and waving flags, they stand, cheer, party, play trumpets and drums, dance and sing. "That's the trick about Nigerians," says Dixit Iduozee at a game against Australia last Friday, which Nigeria ended up losing 2-0. "We're always like go, go, go, go, go. No matter what, we don't give up. And until the end, we don't stop." Nigeria is a fixture at the Women's World Cup. But even though the team has only made it out of the group stage and into the semifinals once, the fans are still enthusiastic. "You can't come inNigerian Soccer Fans Really Know How To Have A Ballhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/nigerian-soccer-fans-really-know-how-have-ball
66642 as http://northernpublicradio.orgTue, 16 Jun 2015 20:30:00 +0000Nigerian Soccer Fans Really Know How To Have A BallRussell LewisUpdate, 10:10 p.m. ET: The U.S. and Sweden fought to a 0-0 tie in Winnipeg on Friday night — a disappointing result against the Americans' trash-talking former coach, but enough to keep them in control of their group at the Women's World Cup. The U.S. struggled to maintain control in the Swedish half for much of the game, and had a hard time connecting on their longer passes forward. Two header attempts off corners around the 72nd minute were tipped over the crossbar and went wide right, and a frenzy in the final minute of extra time came up empty. The hero of the match for the U.S. might have been defender Meghan Klingenberg, who found herself in the right spot on the goal line during a Swedish corner and knocked a sure goal back out — with some help from the crossbar. Following the tie and Australia's victory over Nigeria on Friday, the U.S. stands atop Group D with four points and a plus-two goal differential. They'll play next against Nigeria on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Original Post:U.S. And Sweden Struggle To 0-0 Tie In Women's World Cuphttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-women-face-sweden-and-their-former-coach
66465 as http://northernpublicradio.orgFri, 12 Jun 2015 17:03:00 +0000U.S. And Sweden Struggle To 0-0 Tie In Women's World CupRussell LewisUpdate, 9:45 p.m. ET: Forward Christen Press scored in the 61st minute and Megan Rapinoe scored her second goal of the match in the 78th minute for the Americans, who beat Australia 3-1. Combined with the 1-1 tie between Sweden and Nigeria earlier on Monday, the U.S. has a strong lead in its World Cup group. Rapinoe also was issued a yellow card in the second half, as was U.S. midfielder Lauren Holiday. Goalie Hope Solo had five saves. The Americans' next game is against Sweden on Friday at 9 p.m. ET, followed by their last group-stage game against Nigeria at 6 p.m. ET on June 16. Both matches will air on Fox. Update, 8:28 p.m. ET: At halftime, the U.S. and Australia are tied, 1-1. American midfielder Megan Rapinoe started the scoring in the twelfth minute; veteran Australian forward Lisa De Vanna countered in the 27th minute. Original Post: The U.S. women's national soccer team begins its quest for a third World Cup championship today when the U.S. takes on Australia. It's the firstU.S. Women Beat Australia 3-1 In Teams' Opening Match Of World Cuphttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/us-womens-world-cup-opens-tonight-against-australia
66221 as http://northernpublicradio.orgMon, 08 Jun 2015 14:37:00 +0000U.S. Women Beat Australia 3-1 In Teams' Opening Match Of World Cup